


The cost of the noble fight

by thegreattelleroftales



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket, ASOUE
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 13:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17684660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreattelleroftales/pseuds/thegreattelleroftales





	The cost of the noble fight

The day their home went down in the fire, causing their parents' death, Ernest unconsciously decided is up to him to take care of his brothers now.

He had to be the tough one. Always ready to fight anyone who dared to harm his siblings. When that strange woman came to “recruit” them for this weird organisation Ernest didn’t follow, not without a fight.

He bit her hard enough to mark her for the rest of her life. Or so his five years old thought.

 

For the first five years as trained volunteers, the triplets were really close. They lived, trained and worked together and together alone.

Then they grew up a little bit. Frank was more sociable than him and Dewey. Frank made friends easily and everyone seemed to like him. Especially the Snicket twins. Ernest approved of his brother’s friends. Kit most of all. She was good company and cared about Frank.

Dewey, on the other hand, preferred to be by himself most of the time. Usually reading. His parents had made sure all three of them loved books and good stories. They were librarians after all. Dewey wanted to follow their steps once he was old enough.

He got along with the rest just fine of course. And with another guy as well Dashiell Qwerty. He was kinda older, but Dewey like his company.

Ernest was never very fond of the VFD as an organisation. The volunteers demanded too much and gave back too little. The irony huh? And there were always whispers here and there about the schism, the fire-starters, a very odd couple. Ernest watched carefully. He had to be ready, he had to protect his brothers.

 

On their twelfth birthday, they had a party. They talked about it all week. Ernest was excited. They hadn't celebrated properly since they lost their parents. Now it was time to fix this!

It was great. Lots of people around. He and Frank didn’t miss a chance to meet everyone and make some new friends. Only Dewey was quiet. Or better, quieter than usual. Ernest noticed. He tried to ask Dewey what was going on. If anyone dared to make him sad on such a special day.

“Social anxiety mostly,” Dewey joked and caught his brother’s hand

_Talk, later, secret._ He spelled in sign language and Ernest made sure not to break his smile.

They said, he died in a terrible accident. He went climbing and he fell in the river. His body was never found. It probably ended up somewhere in the sea. That was the official statement about Dewey Denouement’s death.

Frank and Ernest cried in the funeral and mourned him for a year.

 

On the thirteen birthday, the now twins got matching haircuts and matching clothes. They barely appeared in public together. Ernest found it difficult to throw away his military boots and the leather jacket. His father used to have similar clothes, and Ernest liked the style. They insisted on suits though. And what they said was law.

Frank or Ernest? People would ask. And Ernest would nod politely, never answering the question. He wasn’t supposed to, they had made it clear. Frank was furious at first, but Ernest remained silent. They had to protect Dewey. Dewey who, day by day, looked more like a shadow than human.

 

On their fifteen birthday, Frank and Ernest got to see their Dewey after a long, long time. The volunteers had put him in a small apartment down in the sewers. Dewey barely got in the surface anymore.

And they were triplets again. Not Frank or Ernest and a sub-librarian. Triplets!

“The fire-starters are on the rise,” whispered Ernest, pointing to the newspaper on Dewey’s desk.

“Evil is on the rise,” said Dewey sipping some tea.

“Evil indeed, but at least they get to see the sun whenever they want,”

“That much is true,” Dewey sigh.

 

When the Man with a Beard but No Hair and the Woman with Hair but No Beard approached Ernest, he was sixteen. He and Frank had decided not to celebrate this year. Not since Dewey couldn’t join. Frank had said, there was no point to it.

“We fight the noble fight!” Ernest shouted to the man and the woman.

“And what the noble fight has cost you?” hissed the man

“Go on take it,” said the woman and threw him a lighter.

Ernest caught it in the air. The couple was gone.

__

He went straight to the big heads. This was a serious issue. They had to know immediately. He rushed into the library.

“Sir, we have an eager situation!” cried Ernest

“Quite!” murmured the man sitting behind the desk. His voice harsh. He didn’t even bother to look at Ernest

“But, sir, I-”

“I said quite, young Denouement. Really, is it Frank or Ernest?”

“Ernest. Sir, I’m sorry but-”

“I said, Frank or Ernest?”

Ernest froze. The voice of the man was almost threatening at this point. Ernest nodded politely

“That’s a really good question sir,” he smiled and walked out of the library.

 

_And what the noble fight has cost you?_ The question echoed in his head. _Your parents, your home, your brothers._

“Even my name.”

_Even your name,_ the voice agreed.

Ernest felt the lighter heavy inside his pocket. Maybe he would pay a visit to count's son during the week. He knew better, he could contact the man and the woman.


End file.
